Stitch extractor



July 15, 1969 F. w. E. MALONEY STITCH EXTRACTOR Filed April 19, 1968 m m m N I United States Patent 3,454,973 STITCH EXTRACTOR Frederick W. E. Maloney, 7880 NW. 11th Court, Hollywood, Fla. 33024 Filed Apr. 19, 1968, Ser. No. 722,792 Int. Cl. A43d /00, /00, 19/00 US. Cl. 12103 9 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Apparatus including two extracting hooks which are fastened to two drives that are attached to a double eccentric member driven by a worm gear on a motor shaft with the eccentrics disposed in opposed relationship so that the two extracting hooks move in opposite directions which allows one set of hooks to move toward the welt of the shoe from which the stitches are to be extracted, while the other hook moves away from the shoe.

The present invention relates to a stitch extractor, and more particularly to a reciprocating stitch extractor for removing the stitches from the welt of a shoe and the like.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a novel device for removing the stitches from the welt of a shoe after the old sole is removed from the shoe.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a stitch extractor which removes the stitches from the welt of a shoe by utilizing hook members which approach the stitches from a right angle direction, as distinguished from the removal of stitches by a rubbing method used heretofore, in which the rubbing action was in a lengthwise direction parallel to the stitches.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel stitch extractor which saves a minimum of 10 to minutes labor over the conventional method used heretofore in which the old stitches were removed from the welt of a shoe by a rubbing action.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a novel stitch extractor which removes the stitches from a welt of a shoe, regardless of the material of the welt, whether it be rubber, leather, paper or plastic material, thus eliminating the necessity for utilizing a specific type of stitch remover, according to the material of the welt.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a stitch extractor that can be readily atfixed to a conventional meat slicer device driven by an electric motor, thus permitting the electric knife slicer to also be utilized as a stitch extractor.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a stitch extractor device which will not damage the welt or the shoe in any way, and which will extract stitches by a mechanical picking action, as distinguished from a rubbing action, and which will do the job faster than those used heretofore.

It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a stitch extractor provided with two sets of hook means, in which one hook means moves toward the welt of the shoe while the other hook means moves away from the shoe, so that one hook means is always disposed on the welt at all times serving as a guide to the operator during the stitch removing operation.

Various other objects and advantages of the present invention will be readily understood when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, forming a part thereof, and from the following detailed description, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the stitch extractor of the present invention, illustrating the operators using it for removing the stitches from the welt of a shoe;

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FIGURE 2 is an enlarged detail view of the stitch extractor embodying the present invention taken along the lines 2-2 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is a bottom plan view of the section of FIGURE 2 partly broken away and in section; and

FIGURE 4 is a perspective enlarged view of the hook members of the stitch extractor of the present invention.

Referring to the drawing, the reference numeral 10 generally designates the stitch extractor device of the present invention, and includes a plastic housing 12, in which is disposed an electric motor, not shown, and a detachable cord and plug 14 adapted to supply electric power to the motor. The housing 12 and the stitch extractor device may be that used in conventional type electric slicing knives on the market. The front end of the housing is provided with a necked down portion 16 which is gripped in the hand, as shown in FIGURE 1, and is further provided an electric switch, covered by the hand shown in FIGURE 1, for starting and stopping the motor and the stitch extractor hook members generally designated 18 driven thereby.

Referring to FIGURE 2, the interior of the housing 12 is provided with a jonrnalled shaft 20 supported at its opposite end by a substantially U-shaped frame 22, secured to the interior of the housing 12 by screws 24'. A worm wheel or pinion 24 is fixed to the shaft 20 for rotation therewith. The worm wheel 24 is driven by a worm 26, which worm 26 in turn is rotated by the electric motor shaft 28. It will be noted that the U-shaped frame 22 has its legs 30 extending substantially horizontally when the stitch extractor device 10 is in an operative position, such as that shown in FIGURE 1. The worm wheel 24 is provided with double eccentrics including an upper eccentric 32 and a lower eccentric 34, which eccentrics are disposed in an opposed relationship, or are disposed in opposite directions on the shaft 20, as clearly shown in FIGURE 2.

The upper eccentric 32 is attached to an opening 38 in the rear of a flat metal drive plate 40. The lower eccentric 34 is inserted into an opening 42 in a lower metal drive plate 44. The eccentrics 32 and 34, since they are oppositely disposed and are connected to their respective drive plates, cause the drive plates to move in opposite directions, or to reciprocate in opposite directions when the worm wheel 24 is driven by the worm 26.

The upper drive plate 40 has secured to its underside by rivets or other suitable means a fiat, elongated, plastic member 46, which plastic member 46 in turn has secured to it by the same rivets an elongated, flexible, thin metal member 48. The member 46 extends forwardly of the drive plate 40 and has a portion 50 which abuts the inner surface of a substantially U-shaped plastic bearing member 50, that is secured to the interior of the housing 12 by any suitable means.

The lower drive of plate 44 is also provided with a flat, plastic member 54 suitably connected to its drive plate, and having a front portion 56 which abuts the bearing member 52. The members 46 and 54 are of substantially the same configuration, except they are disposed in opposite directions.

A flexible steel member 58, similar to the flexible steel member 48, is attached to the inner surface of the plastic member 54. The steel bands or members 48 and 58 both have reverse bends 60 on the front end thereof and are spaced apart so as to receive the two individual hook members 62 and 64, comprising an upper hook member 62 and a lower hook member 64.

The upper hook member 62 comprises a flat, elongated metal plate that is offset as indicated at 66, so that its forward portion 68 is lower than its rear portion. Adjacent the front end of the forward portion 68, it is again offset as indicated at. 70, and is provided with two bifurcated fingers or books 72. The hooks 72 have a downwardly extending and rearwardly extending prongs 74, with rearwardly extending points separated by a rounded division between them, which serve to push the stitches off of the welt after their extraction so as to prevent the stitch from hanging to the welt. The hook member 62 is provided with a vertical pin 76, which fits into a corresponding hole or opening in the flexible, steel member 48.

The lower hook member 64 is offset upwardly as indicated at 78, and is provided with three spaced fingers 80. The two outer fingers 80 have downwardly extending prongs 82, which are substantially flat on the bottom and rounded so as to contact the shoe welt and prevent the hooks from doing any damage to the welt, and also serving as a guide, so that the operator can hold the hooking fingers on the welt. The middle finger or prong 84 is the same configuration as the prongs 74. The hooks 72 are disposed to fit between the middle hook 80 of the lower hook member 64 and the outer hooks 80, as clearly seen in FIGURE 4.

The lower hook member 64 is provided with a pin 88 which extends downwardly so as to fit into a corresponding hole in the flexible steel member 58. The hooks are adapted to slide back and forth in contact with each other and their outer sides are adapted to bear against the flexible steel members, including their reverse bends 60. Both hook members extend out an opening in the front of the housing and the device may be provided with any suitable bearing means as desired.

In operation, when the electric motor is actuated, the worm and the worm gear will cause the drive plates 40 and 44 to move in opposite directions and to reciprocate within the housing, so that the respective plastic members attached to the drive plate and the respective hook members 62 and 64 will also reciprocate. Since the eccentrics 32 and 34 are oppositely disposed, this double eccentric will cause the hooks 72 and the hooks 80 to move in opposite directions, so that the operator, as best seen in FIGURE 1, can approach the stitching in the shoe shown therein, at a right angle direction to extract the stitches from the welt of the shoe.

Thus, from the foregoing description, it is apparent that the present invention provides a novel stitch extractor which can be utilized to quickly remove the stitches from the welt of a shoe by an unskilled operator and which device further is provided with guide members which contact the shoe welt and prevent the hooks of the device from doing any damage to the welt, and also serving as a guide so that the operator can hold the hooking fingers onto the Welt and quickly extract the stitches.

What is claimed is:

1. A stitch extractor device comprising a housing, a first stitch removing hook member extending outwardly from said housing, a second stitch removing hook member extending outwardly from said housing, means in said housing connected to said first and second stitch removing hook members for moving them in opposite directions with respect to each other, and said first and second stitch members having alternate hooks thereon for removing stitches from a shoe welt and the like.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein said first hook member is disposed above said second hook member and has a forward portion offset downwardly with its hooks disposed co-planar with the hooks of said second stitch member.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said moving means includes a shaft in said housing with at least two eccentrics fixed thereto for rotation thereby, said eccentrics being oppositely disposed on said shaft, and a drive plate attached to each of said eccentrics for movement in op posite directions with respect to each other, said first stitch removing hook member being attached to one of said drive plates and said second stitch removing member being attached to the other of said drive plates.

'4. The device of claim 3 wherein said first and second hook members have hooks with downwardly and rearwardly extending portions and said rear portions are pointed and divided by a rounded slot.

5. The device of claim 4 wherein the first hook member has two bifurcated hooks.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the second hook member has three hooks including a middle one and two outer ones spaced apart from each other.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein the said outer hooks are fiat and rounded.

8. The device of claim 6 wherein said first stitch bi furcated hooks are disposed in the spaces between said middle and outer hooks.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein said eccentrics are disposed on a worm wheel secured to said shaft, and a worm is provided for driving said worm wheel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,719,304 8/1929 Palmer 12-393 2,472,643 6/1949 Barbagallo 12-103 2,987,740 6/ 1961 Earnhardt 12-103 PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner 

